two small copper coins

"And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box.  Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny." (Mark 12.41-42)

Do you think Jesus was hidden behind a pillar as he watched the people filter through the Temple to give their offerings? Or was he blatantly sitting in an open area, gazing at everyone with a thoughtful stare? I like to think of him sitting on a stone bench, face resting in his hands, watching with the curiosity of a child, eyes darting and searching... wondering if he will see what he is really looking for, waiting in anticipation for a woman like this widow.  

She approaches, slips in as quietly as she can, and looking around her, drops her two small copper coins in; she wouldn't want anyone to see her meager offering, her coins adding up to only a penny, a less than impressive amount. Embarrassing, really. What an incredibly brave woman, her desire to give was so great, that she brought her coins, all that she had, to the Temple. Who would bother to give such a sum? Her heart gave everything and she knew it wasn't enough to make a different, to impress anyone or grant her favor to anyone that might observe her offering. Except for one man. Except for Jesus, who just so happened to be watching. Of course He was, He was waiting just for her.

Jesus does not care if what we have to give is big or small, much or little, important or not, all that matters is that we give everything. Our everythings, though, might look very insignificant to the rest of the world. Our everythings might not ever be noticed, ever be recognized, ever be praised by anyone else, except for our Lord.  Nowhere in this passage does it say that Jesus acknowledges the woman personally, letting her know that she had given much more than it appeared and she would be blessed; He used it as a teaching lesson to His disciples and those around him at the time. For all we know, she didn't know that Jesus was watching, and like the many others we read about in the Gospels, she didn't know her story would be taught by Jesus, and written out in Mark, a Holy Scripture and a Holy Story, living and breathing and changing our hearts.

Be comforted, friends, if your everything is only two small copper coins. It is your everything,  and it is more than enough for the One who gave us all he had.